The Readings for the Second
Sunday in Lent remind us of the terrible consequences of rebellion; and our
need to examine our own lives to see if we are in any form of rebellion against
God. Jesus grief over Jerusalem in the Gospel reminded me of my own grief over
some of my family members and friends who are in a state of rebellion against
God. Like Jesus we all know how hard it is to get those in rebellion to see
their rebellion as pride, selfishness and self-deception. They think they are
the smart ones and that believers are the deceived ones. The readings remind us
that this is an old and sometimes unsolvable problem – and to stay focused on
our own acts of rebellion.
1.
In Genesis (15.1-18) Abram is questioning the power of God
Abram is very old and wants
a son to inherit his estate. Even though he has a Covenant with God and has
seen the power of God working in his life; he is questioning the power of God.
In the reading he is promised land and children – countless descendents:
·
He
believes God and God credits this as “Righteousness”
·
“Righteousness”
= in right relationship, Covenant relationship
·
Abram
shows his love of God by believing in / trusting God
·
God
re-seals the Covenant by accepting the sacrifice
·
God
appears as a torch to pass between the two halves of a sacrifice of animals.
2.
Paul warns Philippians (3.17-4.1) to “stand firm in the Lord”
He is writing to his beloved
first church plant in Europe - a Christian community that has experienced the
love, joy and hope of forgiveness and eternal spiritual life in personal
relationship to Jesus Christ.:
·
But
now there is a problem
·
They
are having conflicts
·
Some
are “living as enemies of the Cross of Christ”
·
Probably
don’t think they need forgiveness through the Cross
·
Their
mind is on earthly things – gluttony
·
Their
real god is their stomach and a life of shame
·
Their
destiny is personal spiritual destruction (no
eternal spiritual life)
In
contrast Christian believers are “citizens of heaven” (3.20)
·
They
love Jesus and accept Him as Lord of their lives
·
They
accept God’s covenant offer of forgiveness for acts of rebellion (sin)
repented, confessed and taken to the Cross
·
They
have made a home for the Holy Spirit to live in their personal spirit to guide,
heal, comfort and correct them
·
They
live with one foot already in Heaven, another on Earth
·
They
already have an eternal spiritual life of love, joy, peace
·
This
reminds us to examine our own lives very carefully for signs that we are
slipping into rebellion against God
3.
Jesus models what we should do - He weeps over Jerusalem
Lucille and I have visited
the church built on the spot where Jesus is supposed to have wept over
Jerusalem. It was a powerful experience being there. It must have been
incredibly more painful for Jesus. The Temple was still standing but He knew
how corrupted it had become. He knew why many people had rebelled against God.
They had rebelled because the Faith of their fathers had become corrupted by
false teachers and the animal sacrifices appeared unreliable as a means to forgiveness
and right relationship with God.
·
Rebellion
is what happens when you love people enough to give them free will – “if it
loves you it will come back”
·
Free
will includes the right to chose to reject the one who reaches out to you in
love.
·
We
all have friends and family who have rejected Jesus
·
We
all weep at seeing their life so spiritually “desolate”
·
But
all we can do is continue to proclaim by our lives and words the Good news of
God’s grace, love, forgiveness and healing
·
Love
bears all things, hopes all things – love never gives up.
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